


i'm yours, you're mine (woh)

by injoonie



Category: GOT7
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Awkwardness, Crush at First Sight, Crushes, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-14
Updated: 2017-04-15
Packaged: 2018-10-18 22:52:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,338
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10626804
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/injoonie/pseuds/injoonie
Summary: Jackson sets his eyes on Kunpimook. And that's it. He's a goner.orJackson tries to charm Kunpimook but realizes it isn't as easy as dramas, but that's okay, because Kunpimook is a sucker for him too.





	1. Let's not talk about Mondays

**Author's Note:**

  * For [♥Mandu♥](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=%E2%99%A5Mandu%E2%99%A5).



> Happy really belated birthday!!! I couldn't resist posting what I have done.. It's a WIP dw I'll get there eventually...

The sun was shining too bright for a Monday. Jackson sighed as he glared out the window. Even if he was known to be the life of the party, it was a god damned Monday. Mondays meant another week of school, another week of teachers lecturing you, another week of shitty food, and another week of boredom. People only held parties on weekends, which Jackson found kind of stupid. Like, why not just have a party everyday?

Anyways, Jackson was tired and grumpy. He had stayed out too late last night, and he had to finish a project as soon as he got home, which meant he only got around a hour of sleep. So honestly, Jackson could care less about the daily announcements the teacher droned on and on about.

In fact, Jackson was in the middle of dozing off when a super cute foreigner walked into the class. Jackson immediately sat up straight and eyed the boy carefully. _Holy, shit, who is that?_ _He’s got a cute smile._

“Class, this is a transfer student from Thailand. He is here on an exchange program. Please introduce yourself.”

“Hi, my name is Kunpimook Buhwakul. Please take care of me! My Korean isn’t very good, but I hope we can get along.”

Somehow, the boy’s thick accent made him even cuter. He also had soft features, which was just Jackson’s type.

Jackson licked his lips in anticipation. That boy was gonna be his.

 

****

 

Much to Jackson's disappointment, the teacher didn't assign Kunpimook to the empty seat right next to Jackson. No, because it was Monday and he had shit luck on Mondays, Kunpimook sat on the opposite side of the classroom. He also found out that Kunpimook was a year younger, which meant that this period (homeroom) and P.E would be the only classes he shared with him. Nothing new and all, just life sucking as usual.

In Jackson's head, it had went more like this:

_“Hey, nice to meet you cutie.”_

_“O-oh hi!” said the flustered boy._

_“So you're Thai, right?”_

_“Yeah.”_

_“That's cool! I've always wanted to learn Thai. Think you could give me some lessons over dinner?”_

It didn't help that Jackson forgot money for lunch, so he was starving. Plus, he had P.E. right after lunch.

They were playing dodgeball today and he was sluggish. This was supposed to be Jackson's opportunity to show off to the new kid, maybe gallantly throw himself in front of a dodgeball and catch it. It never hurts to make a cool first impression.

Except that Kunpimook was on the other team. And despite his scrawny frame, he had a surprisingly good arm with accurate aim.

Now, Jackson could still be super cool. He considered himself pretty athletic; all that fencing training paid off.

But Jackson was sluggish and unlucky, so somehow he ended up tripping over his own feet while trying to dodge a ball thrown right at his face. A ball thrown by motherfucking Kunpimook. Like honestly, how much worse could the day get?

Not only did the ball meet its target, but he also ended up falling over.

Kunpimook let out a worried yell. “Oh my god! I'm so sorry. Are you alright?”

Jackson tried to wave him off and stand up, but everything was going black.  “Huh, yeah everything's great. Especially the view.”

Then he passed out.

***

 

Jackson woke up with a headache threatening to split his skill apart. Sunlight weakly fluttered through the gaps of the closed curtains.

“Ugh, where am I?” Jackson groaned in pain as he got up, only to bump into something solid.

“Fuck!” he exclaimed as said something yelped. Wait. It yelped...

“What the hell?”

Jackson jumped back in horror, only to hit his head against the wall.

“Shit, I hate Mondays.”

He looked up and saw big, worried eyes staring back at him. Not just anybody’s big worried eyes, but goddamned Kunpimook’s.

“Kill me now.”

Kunpimook burst out laughing. “Is your head alright? Oh my god. You probably have brain damage or something by now.”

“Yeah,” Jackson muttered and looked down at his hands while his ears burned. He also pointedly tried not to think about how adorable Kunpimook’s smile was. Obviously, it was having no effect on Jackson’s manliness at all. None whatsoever, which was why he wasn’t dying to squeal and melt into a puddle of goo.

“You know,” Kunpimook began. Jackson looked up and tilted his head. Kunpimook broke out into laughter.

“What?” Jackson demanded sulkily.

“No, it's just you kind of remind me of an overexcited puppy. Like, the way you keep bumping into things, and the way you looked up.”

“Thanks?” Jackson blinked at the boy.

“Oh, well school's pretty much over. I kind of stayed ‘cause I wanted to make sure I didn't kill a guy or anything on my first day. That wouldn't be the best start.”

Jackson chuckled. “Yeah, it wouldn't. It’s okay, I'm just as healthy as I was before. Check out these biceps.”

Jackson flexed with confidence, and Kunpimook began giggling uncontrollably. “Dude, you are insane. I knocked you out cold for a good 2 to 3 hours, and you're as good as new within 5 minutes. That's pretty hardcore.”

“I know right.  All them ladies and gents want me y’know?”

“Alright, Mr. Hardcore. As an apology, let's go catch some dinner together. You can tell me all about the best spots.”

Jackson sputtered, “U-uh, sure. That sounds great!” Honestly, he had not expected the boy to be so forward. Kunpimook seemed more like a shy boy, like someone that needed to be persuaded to have fun.

“Great! Tell me when you feel Iike going. I'm down anytime. You might be a bit wobbly, so take a few minutes and chill.”

“Nah, I'm good. I'm really strong, you know.”

As Jackson stood up, his head throbbed and his legs screamed in protest. But Jackson Wang was not a quitter. He grunted and managed to stand up, but as he took a step forward, his knees buckled and he stumbled.

“Uh, I think you should sit down for a bit longer. Here, let me get you a water bottle or something.”

“Nah, I’m great.” Jackson lurched dangerously forward. He tried to regain his balance but being the clumsy idiot he is, tripped over the curtain and grabbed onto the nearest thing he could find: Kunpimook.

Both the boys went down with a loud crash and lots of swearing in Thai and Cantonese.

“I told you to chill.” Kunpimook rolled his eyes in exasperation as he tried to untangle his limbs from Jackson's.

“I thought I was fine. My bad, my bad. Well, at least I can safely say that the day can't get worse, right?”

As Kunpimook tried to tug his leg free from Jackson, the force pulled the curtain (which was super flimsy because schools have a budget, and curtains for sick people obviously aren't a priority) cleanly off its hooks. It landed squarely on Jackson and Kunpimook, covering them like a blanket of snow.

“Uh, I stand corrected.” Jackson began to laugh at the crazy events of the day. “I honestly don't think I've ever had such a shitty Monday. Guess there's a first for everything.”

“To be honest, I think the gods get mad every time you say you hate the day or something. All these events must be divine retribution, and you're dragging me into it.”

“Maybe. Or maybe you're bad luck. Who knows?”

“Nah, it's definitely all you. You whined way too much about the day of the week, and I've only been talking to you for less than an hour.”

“If we look at this logically, I've never had this problem before. So since every effect must have a cause, you must be the reason I'm super unlucky today.”

“Nuh uh,” Kunpimook retorted.

The playful bickering continued for a good five minutes. Jackson felt as if he had known Kunpimook for a lifetime. He was easy and fun to talk to, and he seemed really cool. Plus, he liked to talk, and so did Jackson; their conversations flowed endlessly and nonstop. Most of Jackson's friends kind of just gave up trying reply to half of the things he said to them. Usually, they let Jackson ramble on and on about random things and asked a few strategic questions to keep the “conversation” going.

Kunpimook talked a lot about his personal life. Jackson found out that Kunpimook has three siblings that love dancing as much as he does; he also learned that Kunpimook is a huge fan of G-Dragon, which was why he became so interested in Korea. In fact, Kunpimook jokingly claimed to be G-Dragon Jr. and often practiced raps in both Thai and Korean. Kunpimook’s mom also loves Korean culture, even opening a Korean restaurant. He also talked about his life at school and how crazy he and his friends were. Apparently, they pulled small pranks every week.

Jackson, in turn, described his life to Kunpimook. He talked about fencing - how he had been competing since he was ten, and that he was in line to make the national team. He explained that the reason he moved to Korea was because his dad was a coach for the national team, and that he expected Jackson, who he said had a natural talent for fencing, to choose it as his career. Jackson expressed his homesickness to Kunpimook, who could understand what it felt like to be in another country. He missed his mom, who had remained in Hong Kong, and he missed the food, the celebrations, and just everything about Hong Kong. Still, he was glad he came with his dad to Korea. “It’s nice to see more of the world, y’know?”

Kunpimook nodded in appreciation. “Yeah, when I think about how I won’t see my family for a while, I get kind of sad. But still, I don’t regret applying to the exchange program.”

Moving away from the more sentimental topics, Jackson told Kunpimook all about the crazy parties he went to.

“So this one time, I got there super late at like one in the morning. And all I hear is this super loud crash, like the building fell over on itself or something.”

“Oh my god. What happened?”

“Turns out that everyone was fucking bored or something and decided it would be a great idea to jump on the table, not the five million beds there were in the house. So half of the party climbed up and were jumping super hard. It was kind of like a mosh pit.” Jackson shuddered. “I hate those. I’m a social guy, pretty big on skinship, but that’s just way too much. Anyways, that party wasn’t the best. That’s the proof; if you’re bored enough to jump on a table, then there must’ve been nothing to do. Anyways, that table was already kind of creaky, but nobody could hear it over the music. So then, two of the table legs collapsed or something, and down everyone went. Yeah, I walked in to see a pile of people groaning in pain. And you know what the party host said?”

“What? Are they super mad or something?”

“Nah, he just said, ‘Well, we needed a table anyways. Pay up.’ And he held his hand out to the people on the ground. And you wanna know the best part? People started looking for super glue and shit to fix the table. Was the weirdest party ever. Like, it kind of stopped being a party midway. Still, it was funny ‘cause everyone was wasted, so you got a crowd of uncoordinated people trying to fix a table, but they’re only getting glue all over the place.

“What the hell?” Kunpimook laughed. “That’s crazy. I don’t think any of the parties I’ve been to were anywhere near that weird. You gotta take me to some this weekend.”

“I got your back. Get ready to be a party animal.”

“Boys?” A stern looking woman walked into the office. “It’s almost 8 o’clock. You should be home by now. We’re locking the school up. Make sure you leave in ten minutes.”

“Yes, Nurse Kang.” Jackson replied. When she left, he jumped up and said, “Oh shit. My dad’s gonna kill me if I’m not home soon. I have fencing practice at seven and I missed it. Oh my god.”

“Oh, okay. Guess I’ll head home too. See you tomorrow?”

“Yeah! You can treat me to dinner another time, okay?”

“Sure. Make it home safe, alright. It’d suck if my first friend in Korea was run over by a car or something.”

“Don’t jinx it. I really do have shit luck on Mondays.”

“But at least you met me, right. I must’ve been the highlight of your day.” Kunpimook winked and Jackson almost ran into the door.

“Whatever you say, man. I was probably the highlight of your day.” Jackson blew Kunpimook a kiss. When he safely exited the school, he banged his head against the wall.

_What the fuck did I just do. That was probably too forward. What if I creeped him out? Ah, shit. No Jackson Wang, stay positive. He seems pretty chill, and he even winked at you. I’m sure blowing a kiss couldn’t have been that bad._

Jackson sighed as he trudged home. And now he had to face his dad’s wrath.

“Wait!” Jackson turned around and was nearly knocked over by Kunpimook.

“What the hell?”

“Sorry, but I didn't get your number. You're my first friend and I wanna talk more and get to know you better.”

“Oh, no problem!” Jackson mentally cheered as he punched in his number on Kunpimook’s phone. “I think you're pretty cool and all, and I'd be glad to show you around.”

“Great! Since you couldn't catch dinner with me today, how about another day? And we should definitely hang on the weekend.”

“Yeah, we should. We'll keep in touch.”

“Alright, see you!”

Jackson continued waving until Kunpimook disappeared from sight. As he turned to make his way home, he heard a ripping sound. Jackson was slightly paranoid that his pants had ripped ( _these pants were kind of too tight today…),_ but he really needed to get home.

When Jackson entered the living room of his house, he found his dad sitting on the couch waiting for him. “You didn't go to practice.”

“No. I didn't eat lunch today because I forgot my money. I didn't feel good during P.E, so I couldn't dodge a ball that hit my face. Apparently, I passed out and I woke up around 7:30? I'm sorry for not going to practice.”

Jackson's dad shook his head. “As long as you're okay, it's fine. But what happened to your pants?”

Jackson looked down to see a huge hole in his pants located exactly on his crotch.

“Mondays really are the worst.” He stopped to think about Kunpimook. “Or maybe _most_ Mondays are the worst.”

“What?”

“Nothing,” Jackson said as he smiled to himself.


	2. The first date (but not really)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I had a lot of this written? I tried to find a good place to break it up but I couldn't, so here's the product of a good 5 months( which is honestly like 3 or 4 days at most) Hope this makes your day, fam!!

Jackson tapped his hand each time the second hand on the clock moved another tick. It was finally Friday, and he couldn’t wait for the week to be over. The last period of the day was Literature, which meant the classroom was filled with monotonous voice of the teacher reading passages from the textbooks. Jackson could see that no one was paying attention: Jinyoung was casually texting with his phone in his lap. It was probably Jaebum, his longtime best friend and boyfriend. Mark was dozing off, not that it was something new. For some reason, Mark was constantly sleeping, but he always managed to stay in the top twenty of the class.

Jackson sighed. Mark and him could be tossing around a paper ball , but he was too busy sleeping. _Some best friend you are,_ he thought venomously.

As the teacher told the class to turn to the next page and answer the questions, Jackson’s phone vibrated. He pulled it out of his pocket and saw five unread messages from Youngjae, who was asking him to return the gym shorts he had borrowed, two from his dad, telling him that he was going to be away tomorrow and needed him to do the chores, and one from Cutie (: that read, _You free tonight?_

Jackson smiled a bit before replying, _Yeah._ _What are you treating me to? Something that meets, my standards, I hope?_

_Expect nothing less, Mr. Wang. Such a busy man. Couldn't meet with me for the rest of the week I was so lonely!!!_

_Sorry, Mr.Kunpimook.  Your wonderful knight in shining armor was busy working these_

_Dude, I bet those emojis are more ripped than you._

_Not even!!_

_If you say so_

_I do say so!! Aren't you supposed to be studying?_

_Nah, we have study period. Feel proud. The great Kunpimook is sacrificing his free time to text you!!_

_Lol, you're not that important_

_Please, I'm the sun in your life_

_You wish!_

_Oh, so what time you wanna meet tonight??_

_Idk. Let's just hang right after school. We can go hit some arcades then go catch a bite._

_Okay, sounds good!!_

_Sounds like a_

“Mr. Wang, please put away your phone.”  Jackson jumped in his seat and flushed red.

“Yes, sir.”

Mark lazily turned his head around to face Jackson with an expression that said, _Real smooth dude._ Mark slowly grabbed his pencil and wrote a on his notebook before passing it to Jackson.

_Nice going. You were so lowkey about it, like nobody should've been able to tell that you were on your phone.  Yeah, not at all. You weren't giggling or anything, so it should've been impossible._

Jackson shot Mark a dirty glance before scribbling on the notebook. _Shut up._

Mark read the note and shook his head. He lazily scrawled on it and passed it to Jackson just as the bell rang.

_You were totally texting that Thai transfer student you've totally got a crush on, weren't you._

Jackson gaped at him. “Are you psychic?”

Mark snatched back his notebook and smirked like a little shit. “Nope, you’re just obvious. And you’re my best friend. Catch you later.”

Jackson stared at the door. _Am I really that obvious?_ His phone vibrated with an incoming text followed by another.

_Where are you??_

_I'm getting old waiting for you!!_

Jackson laughed. Kunpimook was always such a drama queen.

_Coming! I'll hurry, just for you_

Jackson quickly gathered his belongings and tried not to let what Mark said bother him. He met Kunpimook at the front gates of the school.

“Jackson!” Kunpimook called out cheerfully.

“Hey! What a liar. You said you were getting old, but you still look like a little fetus. Maybe I should’ve taken some more time.”

Kunpimook lightly punched his shoulder. “I don’t look like a fetus! And I grew crusty on the inside, okay.”

“You didn’t grow crusty. You’ve been crusty,” Jackson replied and sidestepped Kunpimook’s kick. “Look at that weak kick. My grandma could do better.”

“I hate you. I’m not buying you dinner anymore.” Kunpimook pouted, and Jackson internally melted. But Jackson was a real man, and real men do not show that they have been affected by cute things (i.e. Kunpimook).

“I guess I’ll just call up Mark and tell him we can hang now. I was willing to give up my weekly movie night with my best friend for you, but what a shame. It’s your loss.” Jackson smirked at Kunpimook, daring him to take the bait.

“Fine, fine. I’ll still buy you dinner.” Kunpimook threw his hands up in defeat and grabbed Jackson by his wrist. “Let’s go before it gets too dark.” Jackson stumbled along with a burning face and limbs made of jello.

As they walked along the crowded streets of Seoul, Jackson stared at Kunpimook’s back profile. His uniform pants fit him snugly, and his vest was a little big, which made him seem smaller. Though Jackson was glad to go somewhere with Kunpimook, he had envisioned a much more romantic first date. Something along the lines of:

_“Where are you taking me?” Kunpimook asked from the passenger seat of Jackson’s (nonexistent) car. He looked adorable in a suit complete with a bowtie._

_“Patience. It’s supposed to be a surprise.”  Jackson was dressed up in a button-up and slacks with his hair slicked up._

_“It better not be anywhere too expensive. I’d feel bad.”_

_“We’re here.” Jackson pulled up and motioned for Kunpimook to follow him into a fancy hotel. At the entrance, waiters took their jackets and led them to a round table covered with white tablecloth. An assortment of roses was placed in a vase in the middle, and tall candles illuminated Kunpimook’s features._

_“Hyung, you didn’t have to! I said nowhere too expensive!”_

_“Just consider this an offering to an angel._ ”

_Kunpimook blushed before leaning over to -_

“Hello? Earth to Jackson? We need to cross the street.”

“Huh? Oh, yeah. My bad.” Jackson felt a sharp sting to his forehead. “What the hell?”

The people surrounding him glared at him and continued to cross. Jackson looked up to see Kunpimook shaking his head at him. “You should really stop daydreaming. I’m kind of surprised you didn’t get hit by a car the first day we met while you were going home. What would you ever do without me?”

“Well, in my defense, I have been alive for a good seventeen years before I met you, so I think I’d live.”

Kunpimook laughed. “Okay, that’s a good point. But still, you’re supposed to say that you can’t live without me or something.”

“Technically, I can’t live without food or water.”

Kunpimook muttered something unintelligible.

“What?”

Kunpimook looked shyly away. Jackson noted that there was a red tinge to his ears.

“Nothing.”

Jackson stared at him skeptically but let it drop. “Oh, so did I tell you that I got in trouble because of you?”

“When you were texting?”

“Yeah, how’d you know?”

“You sent me an unfinished text.”

“Oh shit. I did?” Jackson fished out his phone and scrolled to his messages.  Kunpimook looked over his shoulder and giggled as he tapped on Cutie (:

Jackson had a mental breakdown as he realized what he had done. _Oh my fucking god. I’m so stupid. I forgot that I named him Cutie. He’s gonna think I’m a creep or something. Why am I so stupid._

“You named me Cutie?”

“Uh, I can change it if you want! No problem whatsoever. Just wanted to - ”

“No.”

Jackson looked up as Kunpimook repeated the words again. “No, I like it. I’m glad you think so.” He gave a pleased smile that lit up his face (and Jackson’s world).

“Ahem. So uh, we’re at the arcade now.” Jackson internally cursed his lack of tact.

“Yeah, we are.” Kunpimook’s jaw dropped open as he surveyed the interior of the arcade. “It’s huge! I’ve never seen such a big gaming arcade! Hyung, let’s go to the shooting games first. Oh my god, this is gonna be a lot of fun.” Kunpimook bounced up and down like a little kid, and his face was practically glowing with excitement.

“Alright. Whatever you say. But fair warning, I’m a beast when it comes to any game. Are you ready to lose?”

“Ha, you wish. Don’t start crying when you get rekt.”

“In your dreams. I would never lose to a scrub like you.”

“Alright, let’s keep count. I’m buying you dinner, but let’s grab some dessert afterwards. Loser’s treat.”

Jackson considered the challenge. Free food and a chance to show off how awesome he was. “Alright, I’m down. Let’s do this!”

***

Kunpimook cheered as he shot down another alien. Jackson looked at his kill count compared to Kunpimook’s. 9:57. Jackson groaned as an alien that he was aiming for was shot down again. He knew he wouldn’t do good at the shooting games, but honestly, he didn’t expect the other boy to be so good. Kunpimook effortlessly shot down hordes of aliens while Jackson was busy struggling with one or two.

 _You win!_ Kunpimook’s screen flashed with virtual confetti floating down the screen. The background showed Kunpimook’s avatar embarking on a spaceship back to Earth. Jackson’s screen, on the other hand, showed his character being dragged by the aliens into their lair.

Kunpimook smirked at Jackson. “You said you were a  beast at every game. Was that all talk?”

“Please, I may not be the best at shooting games, but I’ll still rekt your ass in every other game.”

“Alright, whatever you say. Since, I chose the first game, I’ll let you decide this time. Better choose something you’re good at, or you’ll find your score stuck at zero.”

Jackson jerked his head toward the basketball machines. “Don’t regret what you say, okay?”

Kunpimook’s ego seemed to shrink a bit, but he quickly put on a brave front. “Nah, I would never.”

“Whatever you say,” Jackson said as he stretched. He raised his arms above his head and felt his shirt rise up, exposing his navel to cool air. When he was done, he found Kunpimook staring at him with wide eyes like a doe caught in headlights. “What?”

Kunpimook seemed to turn red but he asked, “You got abs?”

Jackson blinked. That was not anywhere near what he was expecting. “Well yeah. I have to train almost every day and keep my body in tip top shape. Plus, I’m wild and sexy Jackson Wang, and I wouldn’t be as wild and sexy without my abs, y’know.”

Kunpimook chuckled. “Yeah, I guess. So are you implying you're always wild and sexy?”

“Well, yeah. I mean, just look at this.” Jackson gestured at himself. “Who wouldn't want a piece of me.”

“To be honest, I should totally steal that phrase from you. I'm way more wild and sexy than you.”

“Are you the one with the abs?” Jackson lifted up his shirt pointedly. “Didn't think so.”

“Whatever,” Kunpimook huffed. “You won’t be talking so big once I beat you.”

“Bring it!”

 _Start!_ As soon as the game began, Jackson scored a shot. Kunpimook, however, missed the shot. And the shot after.  And the shot after that. He glanced over at Jackson, who was extremely focused on scoring point after point.

Jackson felt a sudden weight on his back. “Wha-?”

Kunpimook giggled. Now, Jackson couldn't move his arms.

“That's not fair! You cheater.” Jackson grumbled as he shook his body in an attempt to throw the boy off.

“Not happening,” Kunpimook singsonged.

Jackson shivered as the warm breath tickled his neck. _Not good… I’m super conscious of him. I might end up saying something stupid that will creep him out._

“Hey, let go.”

“Don’t wanna.”

“Fine, if it’s gonna be that way…” Jackson smirked. It was time to pull out the secret weapon. “That’s not how you should be treating your hyung, Kunpimook.”

Kunpimook groaned as he jumped off. “Don't pull the hyung card on me.”

“But you weren’t letting go, so I had to. Besides, you wasted your time because I won anyways. Well, I told you that I’m the mighty Jackson Wang; not even underhanded tricks like restraining my movement could stop me from winning.”

Kunpimook shook his head but smiled. “Yeah, but it was fun. I’m not that good at basketball, so I already knew I was gonna lose, but your reaction when i jumped on you was still great. I give it a ten out of ten.”

“How cute,” Jackson muttered to himself.

Somehow, Kunpimook heard him. “Who, me? Of course I am.” He tilted his head to the side and blinked his eyes like he saw girls do in movies.

Jackson nearly exploded from how hot his face was getting. _Why is he so cute… Ugh, he never plays fair, whether he knows it or not. And I can’t say anything or he’ll know what I think about him. I need to snap out of it… C’mon Jackson Wang, you have self-control. You. Have. Self. Control._

Trying to play it cool, Jackson said, “Yeah, sure. Very, very cute. What game do you wanna play next?”

“Uh, let’s play a fighting game. It’s not really my strong suit though…”

Jackson himself wasn’t great at fighting games, but he felt assured that he at least had a chance of winning if Kunpimook wasn’t that confident.

As they made their way over, a little kid, around ten years old, bumped into Kunpimook and nearly fell. With reflexes honed by constant training, Jackson caught him.  “Are you okay? Be more careful.”

“Thank you, hyung.” The little boy had wide, innocent eyes, like a doe. He looked at Jackson and Kunpimook curiously. “Are you two dating? Eomma says that’s what people do when they love each other and want to enjoy themselves.”

“W-Wha?” Jackson felt heat rise to his cheeks. _Try to stay calm, try to stay calm.._

Kunpimook knelt in front of the kid and smiled. “Nah, hyung and I are friends. Your eomma is right about dates, but remember that friends also go out and have fun together, okay?”

Jackson internally cried. He was stuck in the friend zone.

“Does that mean that Chittaphon and I are dating?”

“No, because you guys are friends! And friends go out with each other and have fun.”

“But then, why isn’t everything a date?”

“Because-”

Jackson chuckled a bit at Kunpimook’s fruitless attempt to explain the difference between dating and friendship. “Kid, what’s your name?”

“I’m Lee Taeyong.”

“Okay, Taeyong. Do you and uh-”

“Chittaphon!”

“Hold hands?”

“Of course!” Jackson was thrown off by how quickly the kid answered.

“Do you hug a lot?”

Taeyong opened his mouth to reply but was cut off by a super hyper kid that came charging in and practically jumped on him.

“Chittaphon!”

“Taeyongie, I’ve been looking for you!” Chittaphon literally glomped Taeyong for a good minute before noticing that Jackson and Kunpimook were standing there dumbstruck.

“Ah, sorry. I bumped into these hyungs, and then I asked them if they were on a date, but they said they weren’t so then I-” Taeyong looked down at his arms, which were wrapped around Chittaphon’s waist. “Yeah hyung, we hug a lot!”

Jackson and Kunpimook looked at each other. The kids were awfully close, even for friends. Still, it was endearing, and Jackson found himself smiling at how cute the two boys were.

“Hyung, since I answered yes to everything, does that mean I’m dating Chittaphon?”

“Well, there’s one last question. Do you two ki-?”

He was cut off again by Chittaphon. “Taeyongie, I’m hungry. Let’s go eat something. Ah, I’m in the mood for stew!” Chittaphon pouted as he tried to drag his (boy)friend away. When Taeyong opened his mouth in an attempt to ask Jackson to repeat the question, Chittaphon firmly grabbed Taeyong by his face and leaned in closer until their lips touched. “No more talking! Let’s go.” He began to drag Taeyong by his hand towards the exit. Taeyong gave in and waved one last time at Jackson and Kunpimook

All Jackson and Kunpimook could do was stare in awe at the sight of the young boys.

“Well, that’s some _young_ love,” Jackson muttered awkwardly.

“Yeah. It’s cute though, isn’t it?”

Jackson nodded and continued to head towards fighting games, which was next to the crane machines. “What game do you wanna play, Kunpimook?” The only response he got was silence. He looked back to find Kunpimook pressed up against the glass of a crane machine.

“Which one do you like?” Jackson followed Kunpimook’s line of vision and saw a cute pug plush.

“Hm, I didn’t really take you as the type to collect stuffed animals, but hey, that’s pretty cute. I’ll get it for you. Just believe in hyung!” Jackson stuck out his chest with pride.

Kunpimook laughed and shook his head. “It’s alright, hyung. Aren’t these games rigged or something? I’ve never won, not even once. Besides, I wouldn’t want you to waste too much money on it.”

Jackson stared at Kunpimook, who was still pressed against the window. “Yeah, well, you’re looking at a crane game expert. Step aside.” The pug was in a fairly easy place, but there was another stuffed animal on top of it: one of those beckoning cats that were popular in Japan and China.

“Alright, I’m going to make it a goal to snatch two in one go.”

Kunpimook looked at Jackson with skepticism. “I’ve never even gotten one. I think that it’s pretty much impossible to get two, but hey, be my guest.”

“Alright, well watch and learn.” Jackson popped his fingers and rolled his head around. “Get ready to be mindblown.” He popped the coin in and the jaunty music immediately began to play. With utmost concentration and skillful fingers, Jackson directed the crane smoothly to the target area. With a hand full of confidence, he pressed the button that would decide his fate. _Will I impress Kunpimook, or will I be a joke? Please, let me look cool for once!_

As if the heavens heard his prayer, the crane miraculously firmly snatched up both of the stuffed animals. Without thinking, Jackson placed his arm around Kunpimook’s shoulders and shouted in victory. Kunpimook was frozen in place, unable to accept the fact that it was actually possible to win at the crane games.

“How did you even do that, hyung?”

Jackson grinned. Finally, he was able to show off just how “cool” he was. “With skill, of course. Told you I was a pro at these games. I’d teach you, but it’s all natural talent. I’m just made to please others with stuffed toys from crane games, y’know?”

Kunpimook rolled his eyes. “Yeah, sounds like an useful skill. I’ll make sure to call you whenever I’m in times of need. I can always count on the magic hand that won two stuffed animals.”

Jackson feigned mock hurt. “Wow, so you only spend time with me for the free toys, not me. I’m offended.” They were even closer now, their bodies pressed warmly against each other.  

“Well, I’d be lying if I said you weren’t a plus.”

“I’m only the plus?!? You need to lower your standards or something, bro, ‘cause I’m the best there is.” Kunpimook did not respond; instead, he was busy hugging the pug close to his chest.

“It’s so soft,” he cooed. He held out the cat plush towards Jackson. “This is yours. You won it, after all.”

Jackson took the cat from his hand. It was very soft, and Jackson pressed his cheek against the cat. “Hey, shouldn’t we name them?”

Kunpimook looked towards Jackson, then back at the pug, then back at Jackson. He did this for a good thirty seconds before he nodded in affirmative. “Alright, I’ve decided. I’m going to name this doggy Jackson. Remember when we first met, I said you reminded me of a dog? Well, now you are a dog.”

Jackson flushed with pleasant surprise. Kunpimook seemed like he really liked the present, and it was an honor (to Jackson)  that Kunpimook wanted to name it after him. “Hm.. If that dog is me, then this cat will be you.  Say hi to Kunpimook, Kunpimook.”

“Hello, my twin,” Kunpimook said as he shook the plush’s paw. “Please take good care of hyung, okay? Bring him lots of good luck, especially on Mondays.”

“Thank you for your prayer,” Jackson replied solemnly. “God knows I need it.”

Kunpimook giggled as he stuck a foot out and nearly tripped Jackson. “Yeah, I think we all know you need it.”

“Why you little… That was on purpose! C’mere.” Jackson chased after Kunpimook around the arcade, always close enough to graze Kunpimook’s back with his hand but too far to actually grab him.

“Stop running!”

“No! If I do, you’ll catch me. You stop running first, and I promise I’ll stop.”

“No, because then I can’t catch you.”

“Um, excuse me sir.” Jackson looked up and saw a very angry-looking Jaebum. He felt his blood run cold. “Uh, hey Jaebum. I didn’t know you worked here.”

Jabeum glared at Jackson. “Well, now you know. Anyways, I know you’re like five dude, but could you make my job easier and just enjoy the fucking games. Like, why else are you here? If you’re gonna play tag, why don’t you go to a playground. Away. From. Here.” He enunciated the last words in a dangerous voice, and Jackson swore he saw a glint in his eyes.

“Um, yes sir! Kunpimook, I’m kind of hungry right now. Why don’t we get some food?” Jackson grabbed Kunpimook, who was shaking in fear, and ran outside the door.

“Holy crap, I was so scared. Is he someone you know, hyung?” Kunpimook’s face was red from the cold and physical activity. Jackson offhandedly thought of Snow White, who had dark hair, pale skin, and rosy cheeks. _Kunpimook is probably prettier._

“Yeah, he’s someone I know. I guess we’re friends? I know his boyfriend pretty well. We’ve been friends since middle school.  I think they’ve been dating for about that long, so I just kind of always ended up seeing him whenever Jinyoung dragged him along to hang. But yeah, he can be pretty scary. He’s a nice guy, though.”

“Ah, I see. Oh, but what are we gonna do? Like about the contest and dessert. It’s even right now.”

Jackson thought for a moment. “Let’s have a simple contest: whoever reaches that tree first wins.”

“Okay, gimme a second to catch my breath.”  Jackson noded. He was more tired than he would admit. Suddenly, Kunpimook broke off into a sprint. “Hey, that's cheating! Get back here Kunpimook.” With the help of his head start, Kunpimook made it to the tree way before Jackson.

“I won, hyung.”

Jackson shook his head. “You’re such a rascal.”

“Thank you. At least I’m still getting free dessert. I don’t think I brought enough to pay for your dinner and dessert, to be honest.”

Jackson sighed in exasperation. “Alright, princess Kunpimook. Your humble servant will treat you to any sweet you would like.”

Kunpimook giggled and started off before letting Jackson catch his breath. “Thank you my humble servant, but don’t fall behind.” He stopped dead in his tracks. “Actually hyung, I don’t know what’s good to eat here.”

Jackson lightly flicked Kunpimook on the forehead. “Dumbass. Follow me. It’s cold and you don’t seem to have enough money, so let’s get some eomukguk (fish cake soup). I know this stall that sells it really cheap, and it’s super tasty. It’ll warm you right up.”

“Ah, sounds good. Let’s go!” Kunpimook seemed really excited, and he talked to Jackson non-stop about the dishes he liked to eat at Thailand, especially tom yum koong soup.

“Ooh, that sounds pretty good. You need to take me to the best food places in Thailand someday. I’ve never even heard of half of those.”

“Alright, that’s a promise, hyung. Oh, is that the stall?” Kunpimook pointed towards an area where several people were sitting on benches eating eomukguk. Jackson noted that there were many couples feeding each other the fish cake off the skewer. Kunpimook didn’t seem to notice, though, so Jackson decided to keep his observation private.

“Excuse me, can we get two orders of eomukguk?”

“Coming right up! Oh, it’s you, Jackson.”

“That’s my name. Nice seeing you, noona. Kunpimook, this is Amber noona. She’s Taiwanese and from the States, so she really helped me out a lot when I first moved to Korea.”

Kunpimook bowed. “Nice to meet you, noona.”

“Oh, he’s pretty cute. Looks like you found yourself a boyfriend that’s just your style, Jackson.” Amber wiped away nonexistent tears. “They grow up so fast.”

Jackson and Kunpimook both stuttered over their words.

“W-we’re-”

“N-no-”

Amber laughed at the boys. “Aww, I was just teasing. It’s okay though. I believe in it one day. Oh, here’s your orders.”

“Wait, noon-” Jackson said as he picked up the steaming bowls of soup.

“Sorry, I got to take an order. See you, Jackson. Nice meeting you, Jackson’s boyfriend.” Amber left the  two flabbergasted boys in awkward silence.

“So, uh… Do you want to eat here or…?” Kunpimook asked.

Jackson surveyed the area. There were no more seats, and there were too many couples around. He didn’t want Kunpimook to feel too uncomfortable, so he suggested, “Let’s go to the park. Besides, it’s a lot more quiet there, so we can hear each other better.”

“Okay, sounds good to me.”

Jackson shifted uncomfortably as they walked to the park. It was silent, which was really weird considering how much Kunpimook liked to talk. Normally, Jackson would start a conversation to break the silence, but Kunpimook seemed to be concentrating on some train of thought.  When they headed for the nearest bench, there was a sudden movement that startled Kunpimook out of his thoughts.

“Euwah!” Kunpimook cried out (it was a “manly” shriek) and jumped back, tripping on a tree root in the process.

Jackson managed to grab Kunpimook, but sadly, he wasn’t fast enough to catch the steaming bowl of food. Both boys watched it fall in slow-motion, their hands outstretched helplessly.

“Hyung! It’s a tragedy!” Kunpimook whined.

“I know right. Let me call the hospital…” Jackson’s voice trailed off as he turned around, only to find himself face-to-face with Kunpimook.

“Um, hyung?” Kunpimook looked up shyly, a faint tinge of red staining his cheeks. Jackson wanted to die right there and then.

_Shit. His eyes are so big and lips are so pretty. Wait- does that even make sense? How is it physically possible for someone to be this attractive. What the hell. He’s so close. Oh my god, this is just like those stupid dramas my mom likes to watch._

“This is just like one of those scenes from those dramas…” Jackson muttered absent-mindedly while lost in thought. Kunpimook’s  eyes widened by a fraction as Jackson realized what he had just said. Hastily, he let go and jumped back in embarrassment.

 _Wow, A+. Take it from me, Mr. Smooth. This is completely how you woo your crush._  Jackson cleared his throat in an attempt to break the awkward air. “Um, yeah. Dramas are pretty great. Seen any good ones recently?”

Kunpimook continued to stare at him, shell-shocked.

“Hello?” Jackson waved a hand in front of Kunpimook’s face to no avail. “Earth to Kunpimook?”

Kunpimook shook his head to clear his thoughts. Jackson noted that even the tips of his ears were burning a bright red. _Maybe we should have stayed inside? He might be pretty cold, actually._

Kunpimook smirked teasingly. “Leave a message. Kunpimook isn’t here right now.”

“Wow, tell him that he’s a rascal,” Jackson retorted as he ruffled Kunpimook’s hair playfully. “Not even there to listen to his favorite hyung, huh?”

“Jeez, I’m here, I’m here. Stop it hyung. It took me a while to style my hair - it’s the reason why everyone wants a piece of me.”

“Get on my level. Please, my personality is enough to charm the hearts of everybody in this world.”

“Is this another challenge, hyung?” Kunpimook grinned evilly.

Jackson shook his head in exasperation. “Why is everything a competition to you, idiot?”

Kunpimook mimed placing a hand to his ear. “Huh, I can’t hear you over your fear of being outdone.”

“Just you wait.” Jackson pinched Kunpimook’s cheek, causing the boy to whine. “Anyways, let’s just share this bowl of eomukguk and then get some bungeoppang, okay?”

Kunpimook nodded before snatching the bowl out of Jackson’s hands and inhaling most of its contents.

“Hey, leave some for me!” Jackson whined.

Kunpimook laughed, “Look, I left some for you.”

Jackson looked down. There were only a few pieces of fish cake left.

Jackson, for just a moment, wondered if Kunpimook would be this insufferable if they dated. But then he realized that it wouldn't really matter because he honestly wouldn't mind spoiling Kunpimook.

They sat in amicable silence as Jackson finished up the remainder of the fish cake.

“Alright, I'm done. Let's go.”

Kunpimook stood up and with sudden boldness, grabbed Jackson's arm. “Hey hyung, after we get the bungeoppang, can we still hang out a bit more? Like, can I visit your house?”

Jackson’s heart skipped a beat. Kunpimook looked like a child with the way he shifted nervously, his teeth gnawing at his lip. Silently, Jackson prayed his room was in a semi-presentable state.

“Yeah, that's cool. But you don't wanna go home?”

Kunpimook shook his head fervently. “There's not much to go home to. It's too quiet.” Jackson had a sense of deja vu. Kunpimook reminded him of when he had first moved to Korea, out of his element and afraid of being thrown into a completely different world. Jackson felt a sudden need to take care of this boy,because even if he was only a year younger, he was so soft, so precious.

Kunpimook’s expression lightened. “And I wanna see all those trophies you were telling me about!”

“Sure thing kiddo.” Jackson ruffled Kunpimook’s hair. He couldn't help but notice how soft it was.

Kunpimook swatted his hand away, a pout on his face. “I'm only a year younger, hyung.”

“So practically a baby,” Jackson joked, his smile widening as Kunpimook smacked his arm.

“Bad boys don't deserve sweets.”

Kunpimook gave Jackson an impish grin. “But people like bad boys, no?” Kunpimook’s gaze was fiery, like molten pits of lava burning with seduction.

Jackson promptly choked on his own saliva. _How can he go from being adorable to super hot? Bye. I don't have enough willpower to deal with this. I am a goner._

In an split second, Kunpimook was back to being innocent, a sweet smile on his face.

“Hyung, let's go?”

Jackson nodded stupidly, his feet on auto pilot as his brain short-circuited. He made a quick  call to his dad, letting him know Kunpimook was coming over. He also texted Mark his woes, to which there was no reply. _Some best friend,_ Jackson thought glumly.

After deciding to buy bungeoppang at the stall near his house, Jackson gave Kunpimook a mini tour of his neighborhood, complete with a silly list of descriptions and his recommendations.  

Kunpimook gasped in delight each time Jackson introduced a restaurant. “Hyung, we need to visit every single one of these places.”

“Hey, I'm going to go broke.”

“It's okay, we can play games to decide who pays.”

“As long as you don't cheat, and I get to choose some games.”

“No promises.”

“You're such a brat.” Jackson shook his head fondly.

“Yeah, but at least I'm your brat,” Kunpimook replied.

“Since when did you become mine?” Jackson tried to keep his tone playful, keep the eagerness down.

Kunpimook stared at him, a strange look on his face. Instead of answering, he changed the topic to his week at school. People had already started asking him to teach them Thai, which made  Jackson somewhat nervous. Still, Jackson was glad that Kunpimook was fitting in quickly. Not that Jackson was surprised, since Kunpimook was charming - the right amount of hyper, all bright smiles and puppy eyes.

“What are you thinking about?”

Jackson looked up and his words got caught in his throat. Kunpimook was standing in front of him, earnest yet serious. The street light was like a spotlight, illuminating every feature of Kunpimook’s stupidly perfect face. Biting down the smart reply he was going for, Jackson replied softly, “You.”

A moment of silence passed.

And then the mental breakdown ensued. (Contrary to popular belief, Jackson was just a sappy teenager that probably got too many of his romance tactics from sappy romance movies that were entirely unrealistic.)

_Oh shit. I can’t pass this off as a joke. We’ve been standing here for too long. It’s too quiet. Is he grossed out? Is he flattered? I can’t even tell? I’m a walking drama. Wang Jackson, you should stop watching those dramas because you’re literally too cheesy. Am I hoping for too much, or is there some sort of chemistry? I don’t even know why I can’t pull out that good ol’ Jackson charm in front of Kunpimook. Do I sound stupid?_

“Jackson?”

Both boys turned around in surprise at the soft voice cutting the charged silence. Jackson sighed in relief at the familiar figure.

“Mark! Where you been, man? I’ve been looking for you. Did you watch that movie I was talking about?”

Jackson had often heard about that telepathic bond best friends had, but he had always passed it off as bullshit until today.  Trying his best to convey his emotions, Jackson stared at Mark intensely. _Oh my god. Thank the heavens. You’re a real best friend._

As if he understood, Mark shook his head in defeat and held up his phone. Kunpimook watched the exchange without a word, his excitement slightly muted compared to before.

“Hyung, I didn’t know you already had plans. I can go home, if you want. I don’t want to impose or anything.” Kunpimook ran his hands through his hair, a sign of irritation that Jackson had learned to pick up.

Jackson felt a strange mixture of relief and disappointment. “Well, they aren’t exactly plans…”

Mark turned towards Kunpimook, a knowing smirk on his face. “Nah, I just came to get the clothes Jackson borrowed from me during gym. If I don’t get them, he’ll forget about them and keep them. Just a warning.”

“Hey, I do not!” Jackson shot his best friend a betrayed look, which Mark shrugged off.

Kunpimook furrowed his brow but said no more. Turning to Jackson, he asked, “Are you sure I can come over? I can just go home.”

Jackson nodded (a bit too enthusiastically). “Yeah, come over. I can make some pretty mean fried eggs if you’re still hungry.”

“Alright, hyung, I believe you.” Kunpimook followed Jackson into his house, his million-watt smile back in place.


End file.
